Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Parasites and antibodies found in owned dogs in Lilongwe Malawi
By Alvåsen, Karin et al.·Published in Journal of the South African Veterinary Association·2016·Department of Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A field survey on parasites and antibodies against selected pathogens in owned dogs in Lilongwe, Malawi.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A survey of 100 dogs in Lilongwe, Malawi, found that many had parasites and antibodies against certain diseases. Most dogs showed signs of fleas, with 98% of those in vaccination campaigns affected, while 35% of client dogs had fleas. Blood tests revealed that 12% had antibodies for Anaplasma and 22% for Ehrlichia, both of which can cause health issues. The study suggests that better education and preventive treatments could help improve the health of these dogs and benefit public health as well.
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Abstract
The aim of this study was to screen for selected parasites and antibody levels against vectorborne pathogens in owned dogs in Lilongwe, Malawi. The study population consisted of 100 dogs; 80 participating in vaccination-spaying campaigns and 20 visiting a veterinary clinic as paying clients. All dogs went through a general physical examination including visual examination for signs of ectoparasites. A total of 100 blood samples were analysed using commercial snap tests and 40 faecal samples by egg flotation in saturated sodium chloride. The sampled dogs had a seroprevalence of 12% for Anaplasma spp., 22% for Ehrlichia spp., 4% for Dirofilaria immitis and 1% for Leishmania spp. Eggs from Ancylostoma spp. were found in 80% of the faecal samples, whereas eggs of Trichuris vulpis, Toxocara canis and Toxascaris leonina were only present in 3%, 8% and 13% of the samples, respectively. Ectoparasites such as Ctenocephalides sp., Trichodectes sp. and ticks were present on 98%, 25% and 11%, respectively, of the campaign dogs. Among client dogs, 35% had Ctenocephalides fleas, 10% had Trichodectes lice and none had ticks. Public education and prophylactic treatment could be used to improve the animal welfare of dogs; this would most likely also have positive impact on public health.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27543039/